How to Trim an Orange Honeysuckle Bush

Lonicera ciliosa is the botanical name for what is commonly known as the orange honeysuckle bush or vine. It grows to 30 feet in height, from a woody base that holds it up like a shrub, with typical twining honeysuckle stems. If you're hoping to attract hummingbirds into the garden, this plant brings them in droves. The orange honeysuckle bush is native to the Pacific Northwest and thrives in the shade of tall trees in cool temperatures. Orange honeysuckle likes to ramble, so pruning it keeps it to the size and shape you desire. Prune the honeysuckle bush in late summer, when it finishes flowering.

Things You'll Need

• Pruning shears
• Rake

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Instructions

1. • 1

     Cut the top of the orange honeysuckle bush until it is the size you desire, but avoid removing more than one-third of the plant's height to retain its ability to bloom. Like other Lonicera species, this one tolerates hard pruning.

   • 2

     Go through the bush, cutting off dead and broken stems back to live wood or to another branch.

   • 3

     Shape the orange honeysuckle bush to the desired shape by snipping off straggling stems. For a natural look, cut one of every three stems, back to the same height as newer shoots.

   • 4

     Rake the soil around the orange honeysuckle to remove pruning debris.